Find Your New Home Now

First Time Home Buyers Guide

Despite being a big commitment, many people still rush into the home owning process. You need to take your time and learn all the fundamental steps you ought to follow before buying a home to ensure you are making the right decision. Below is an overview of the guidelines that will help first-time home buyers in their search for home.

1. Your Credit Report Matters

The issue of credit is one of the challenges that new homebuyers encounter. Majority seek credit before they have fully understood it and thus make serious mistakes. The result is that the lenders could deny them the loans which contribute in killing their dream of owning a house. Your credit report matters a lot and especially if you are planning to take a mortgage loan for your home. It is a detailed report showing your consistency in meeting your financial obligations such as bills and loans. Before embarking on the home search, it is wise that you get your credit report from your financial institution. It helps in the determination of the credit worthiness of buyers before giving them a mortgage.

2. Adding to Savings

Saving for a house is a good method of preparation before purchasing a new home. Unfortunately, many first-time buyers overlook the importance of savings. It then becomes daunting for them to raise the relatively large amounts needed to pay for the house. In most cases, before the money lenders can give out loans, they demand that you ought to have saved some percentage of money. Again, savings help in reducing the amount that you will borrow as a mortgage. It will also be easier to clear the down payment within the right time if you have been saving.

3. Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent

With realtors advertising their services through all possible mediums, it can be tricky for new buyers to select the best. When choosing an agent, you need somebody whom you can trust with your money as well as the task of getting you a good home. Seek to inquire about the reliability of service from the agent’s recent clients. Choose an agent who has been accredited to conduct such services by scrutinizing the agent’s credentials. Checking the current listings would also help in the selection process.

4. Get a Mortgage Preapproval

It can be very frustrating if you lack money for your dream home. Beginning a home search before being pre-approved is a mistake that many new buyers make. Your lender wants to be sure that you qualify for a mortgage before they can give you one. The lender will, therefore, verify all your documents to check your eligibility for a loan. With a pre-approval, you can do your home hunt with more confidence and assurance of payment.

5. Create Your Wish List

The home buying process involves many ideas, suggestions, and preferences. If first time home buyers do not formulate a good wish list, they will often get confused about what exactly they want. A wish list helps you in the selection and evaluation of a home, to check whether the house has the features you want. The period you intend to reside in that home, the number of people living in it, nearness to social amenities and the neighborhood are some of the things you should include in your wish list.

6. What to Expect During Your Home Search

The home search demands preparedness and proper planning. There are various things that you will do during this stage. With the help of your real estate agent, you need to find a good home seller after which you will make an offer if you find the house appealing. You will then embark on negotiations until both of you agree on the payment. Before paying for the house, it is wise to do an inspection to check if it is worth your money. When you find it satisfactory, you can go ahead and make the payments while following the relevant legal procedures concerning the transfer of ownership.

Your real estate agent is the best source of information about the local community and real estate topics. Give The Hartery Group a call today at 856-912-2973 to learn more about local areas, discuss selling a house, or tour available homes for sale.